Growing Pains (A Babybones fanfic)
by FanficsForSoul
Summary: After the death of their father, Gaster Sans is left to care for Papyrus. Neglecting his own health and mental state, and denying the help of anyone. Will he be pushed too far? Sans is 16, Papyrus is 7
1. Chapter 1

**Notes! *please read***

 **This is my own interpretation of how Sans and Papyrus grew up, however I am taking a lot of inspiration from Zarla,and the reminiscence comic. (i love them so much!)**

 **In this fic Sans is 16 and Pap is 7 :D**

 **ENJOY**

It was bright. Too bright, what had just happened? Flickers of memories passed through Sans's mind in a whirl. "Doctor Gaster!" He heard a faint scream. It was muffled under the own screaming of his mind. "Someone get the kids out of here!" Another voice said. The bustle around him felt as if it was going in slow motion. The colors faded from his vision as he collapsed onto the floor. "Brother! Wake up!" A small voice peeped. Sans felt his consciousness fade. The nausea he felt was too strong, and he welcomed the darkness.

 **Four years later**

Sans awoke with a start. His breathing was heavy and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around him. Same old room, same old mess. Nightmares were nothing new to Sans, he had grown accustomed to them now. He slowed his breathing down and took a big sigh, letting the stale air fill his lungs. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his face in discontent. Although he was used to the nightmares, any about _that_ day sent chills up his spine. He sighed once more and stood. He pulled on a pair of gym shorts and his signature hoodie. He couldn't go anywhere without it, it was a part of him at this point. He slowly made his way out of his room and down the stairs. He was surprised to hear a sizzling in the kitchen, the TV was blaring Mettaton and a faint humming could be heard. "Pap?" Sans called from the living room. The humming stopped and small patters bounded over to Sans's location. "Good morning brother! I made you your favorite~" Sans slumped down on the couch and smiled. "Oh yeah?" He said, eating up every second of Papyrus's cuteness. Papyrus nodded and ran back to the kitchen. Sans began to doze off a bit but was jolted awake by a plate being shoved in his hands. "It's called Papcakes!" Papyrus giggled. The pancake was in an oval like shape with two divets making somewhat of the shape of Papyrus's face, he used blueberries as eyes and a mouth. What really set it off though was the… Marinara… "Uh pap…?" Sans said, feeling slightly queasy. "I see you notice my scarf detailing! Nyeh heh heh! Isn't it great?! We had leftover sauce from last night so of course I thought it would be perfect for this occasion!" Sans forced a smile and gave his bro a small thumbs up. "Looks G-great bro." Sans lied. Papyrus naive as he was, smiled and bounded off back into the kitchen. Sans quickly teleported himself to the outside trash can and threw the Papcakes away. He figured he could stop at Grillby's after he dropped Papyrus at school. He quickly teleported back inside and walked into the kitchen to see a gleeful Papyrus cleaning the mess he had created. "So, why up so early?" Sans asked. Usually Sans would make breakfast for Papyrus while he got ready for school, then nap before he had to go to the lab for work. "Don't tell me you forgot!" Papyrus frowned and crossed his arms. Sans sat at the kitchen table and leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the table. He put his finger to his chin and rubbed it. "Hmmm… _tibia_ honest I don't remember… Is it, national pun day?!" Sans joked. Papyrus frown grew. "I will let that slide for now." Papyrus paused, "Because it's your SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY YOU LAZY BONES. DON'T TELL ME YOU FORGOT ABOUT YOUR BIRTHDAY?!" Papyrus was steaming. Sans jolted upright in his chair, he had truthfully, completely forgotten. Birthday's were just a day to Sans now. He had plenty of other things to worry about. "Oh right, thanks for reminding me bro." Sans said cooly, playing off his own shock. "UGH YOU ARE HOPELESS." Papyrus stormed upstairs. "I'm going to get ready, don't fall asleep!" Papyrus said as he closed his door. "Roger that boss." Sans said, giving a thumbs up. His smile faded and he put his head in his hands. The nausea he felt since he woke up had not gone away, and he could feel a pounding headache begin. Sans smiled to himself. " _How pathetic, i've even forgotten my own birthday."_ he thought. He didn't particularly care however, Sans had grown out of the euphoria of birthdays. Papyrus came bounding down the stairs, his energy level at top performance as usual. "Come on Sans, lets go!" He yelled. Sans got up and joined Papyrus at the front door. "Got everything?" Sans asked, Papyrus nodded.

"Lunch money?"

"Check!"

"Homework?"

"Check!"

"Super cool jacket?"

"Check!"

"Then let's go." Sans smiled and took Papyrus's hand, he felt his magic bubble up in his soul as he teleported them to the school gates. Papyrus held his head. "Sans! Why did you teleport us? You know it makes me dizzy." Papyrus said. "Thought i'd liven things up a bit." Sans winked. Papyrus pouted. "See you after school bud." Sans put a loving shoulder on Pap and watched him walk into the school. He ignored the stares from the other parents. As usual. They used to bother him, but it became too much work to confront each and every parent who looked down on him, so he brushed it off and eventually tuned it out all together. Sans looked to the large clock on the school building. 7:45 AM, perfect timing. Sans smiled and began to walk back home. He enjoyed his morning walks after dropping Pap off. They were for the most part quiet, except for the morning bustle, but even that was soothing. The fresh layer of snow glistened, Sans loved the noise of the crunching snow under his feet. He had time to think all to himself, it was one of the few things he enjoyed about getting up so early. He stopped by Grillby's and got himself a quick bite to eat and headed home. The familiar scene filled Sans with calm. He flopped down on the couch and looked to the ceiling. The headache had mostly subsided, but his nausea still plagued him. He quickly set an alarm on his phone and dozed off. He had another hour or so before he needed to get ready to head to the lab, and it was a short teleport away. He let the darkness envelop him in a restless slumber.

" _We are sorry to hear about your father Sans."_ A grumbly voice said through the darkness. The warm tone of his voice wrapped around Sans. It was another memory. " _We know you and your brother were very close to him."_

" _Yeah."_ Sans's voice sounded younger, not yet fully matured.

" _I know this is hard my boy, but we must talk about your future living arrangements."_

" _Future living arrangements? What is there to talk about? Me and Pap will stay in our home. Just the two of us. Is there an issue with that?"_ His voice was cold.

" _Sans, you are twelve years old. Papyrus is a mere 3 years of age. It's not suitable or appropriate for a child to be raising another child."_

" _I lost the term 'child' a long time ago your highness. After seeing what i've seen, I wouldn't define myself as a kid. No way in hell."_

" _I understand, you have always been mature for your age. Gaster boasted about your wits often. But you have school, and an entire life ahead of you. I cannot allow you to throw that away."_

" _Who cares about school? Who cares about anything anymore. Life isn't exactly fair, if it were fair i'd still have my mother AND my father and we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. As for 'throwing my life away.'"_ Sans felt the magic pulsating in his eye

" _Papyrus is the only life I have, and I would appreciate you not speaking about him as if he were a nuisance"_

" _I did not mean it that way Sans…"_

" _Whatever. I made a promise that I would always look after Pap, no matter what. I don't want someone else butting in and telling us how to live our lives. If you do not approve of me and Pap going on as we normally did…"_

" _YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME."_

He felt awful for saything that. This was the king! But damn it, if Papyrus was involved, there was no stopping him. He heard a sigh, then a long silence.

" _Fine. But, i will be routinely checking up on you, and if you don't meet the standards of living for you OR Papyrus, I will be forced to put you under the care of an adult."_ Sans felt a sense of relief.

" _Also… You will have to pay the rent somehow won't you? So, how about you begin helping Doctor Alphys in the lab. I'm sure she would appreciate the help. The loss is a shock to her as well ya know. Becoming the royal scientist at sixteen is rough for anyone, especially someone as shy as Alphys."_ The King smiled.

" _Heh, you got it boss."_ Sans said

" _And Sans… Don't be afraid to ask me for help, I am just a boat ride away from Snowdin you know. Gaster always told me how secretive you are about your emotions. But it is more important than ever you keep yourself stable for Papyrus's sake. Do not forget you are still grieving, give yourself time to heal. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love."_ the aura around the king felt dark. Sans looked to the ground, the pinpricks in his eyes, gone.

" _Okay."_ His tone was serious, and quiet.

The boat ride back to Snowdin was sile-

"SANS!"

What the?

"SANS ARE YOU IN THERE?"

Sans felt his dream crumble away as he opened his eyes. A hard pounding on the door resonated with the feeling in his head.

"SANS?!"

That voice… "Alphys?" Sans said getting up to open the door. He shuffled over and swung the door open with ease. Alphys stood with her arms crossed, her face perturbed. "Wh-where have you been? I t-tried calling and you didn't pick up!" Alphys said uncontented. "Woah there, what happened? I still have time before work begins, was there an emergency?" Sans asked, rubbing his eyesockets. "Wh-what? Sans its 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON." Alphys said, her eyes going wide. "What? Damn. Must've slept past the alarm." Sans said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'll be there in 10, just gimmie some time to wake up." He said.

"Wait.. Sans are you okay?" This shocked him a bit, since when was she concerned about his well-being? "Y-yeah why?" Sans replied. "Y-you are never late… And the dark circles under your eyesockets are bigger than usual. Have you been eating well? Getting e-enough sleep?" She asked concerned. "Yeah Alph i'm fine. Don't worry bout' me." Sans said, although he felt horrible. The headache had returned with a vengeance and all he wanted to do was lie down. "You came all the way from hotland just to check on me?" Sans said, guilty for making Alphys come so far. "D-duh! Why wouldn't I? We are friends aren't we?" She said. "Yeah, but... " Sans's voice trailed off. The guilt crawled on his back. He hated for people to worry about him. "L-look Sans, why don't you take a few days off? I can handle things for a while. Just get some rest okay?" She said, rubbing her arm. Sans smiled, "You tellin me to sit around and do nothing? Count me in!" Alphys rolled her eyes in response. "C-call if you need anything. If you need me to I can watch Pap for the weekend, so you can catch up on your rest…" She suggested. "Nah, don't worry about it Alph. I got things under control." He said. Alphys let out a sigh and turned to leave. "Well I guess i'll b-be heading home now." She said. "M-maybe since i'm out, i'll stop by Undynes place." She said more to herself than Sans. He walked out to meet her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Oooo you mean the fishy? I'm sensing a connection thereeee~" Sans teased. He could feel Alphys's face turn red. "N-no! Thats n-n-not it! We a-a-are just friends!" She said, her stammer growing worse. "Mhmmm, good luck! Maybe she'll actually smooch you today!" Sans cackled. Alphys huffed and left. After she was out of sight Sans let his smile drop. The headache was infuriating, and he felt so tired… Sans knew however he shouldn't fall asleep. If he did he might not wake up in time to pick up Pap. And some dick move that would be. He instead went inside and turned on the TV. Nothing interesting as usual, but it kept him occupied for the time being. He looked back on the dreams he's had recently. Well- more like a replay of memories. He hadn't had dreams like that in such a long time, it was off to him why it suddenly was happening. It gave Sans a sense of dread. He hated being reminded of the past. He rubbed his head and stumbled to the kitchen. He searched around the cabinets, hoping to find something to relieve his headache. "Damn. All out." He sighed. He didn't get paid for another week, and meds were way too expensive. They were rare in the underground. He could always ask Asgore for help… " _Forget it._ " he thought. He grabbed some water and flopped back onto the couch, fighting the urge to sleep. " _Only two more hours and I go pick up Pap. Come on Sans you can stay awake for that long, right?"_ He chuckled to himself.

The time went by at a snail getting encouraged too much's pace, but soon the time arrived and Sans teleported himself to the entrance of the school. He felt awful, and using his magic like that took a lot out of him. Sans rolled his eyes. It was so inconvenient. He just prayed he wasn't getting sick, he had too much to worry about. Making Paps dinner, reading Paps a bedtime story, helping him with his homework, getting groceries, working, taking Pap too and from school, getting sick on top of it would be a pain.

"Who is _that_?" Sans overheard a lady, he glanced to see a cat monster whispering to a bunny-fish hybrid thing. "Oh that's right. You are new to Snowdin aren't you? That's Sans." The bunny-fish replied. "He looks young. Shouldn't he be in school right now?" The woman asked, not noticing that Sans was staring right at them. "Get this, he dropped out of school when his father died, and is left taking care of a seven year old by himself! A rambunctious seven year old from what i've heard. My son says he's so disruptive and over the top. _Obviously_ not getting enough guidance at home." The bunny-fish snarled. "How is that even allowed? A teenager raising a little kid all on his own? Sounds crazy to me." The cat said.

"Well, Asgore himself approved it. Only heaven knows why…" Bunny-fish said.

"That poor kid. He looks so sickly too. How awful. It must be hard dealing with a brother if he's how you are describing it."

Sans was steaming. You could talk bad about him all you wanted… But again, when Papyrus was involved… He felt his eye glowing, the magic erupting from his soul. He wanted to dust these two right there. He took a step towards the ladies, ready to give them a bad time.

"SANS!" He stopped, a small voice woke him from his rage. A tiny skeleton came bounding up to him, his smile was larger than life itself. "H-hey Pap. How was school?" Sans asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Magic was leaking out of them, he didn't want Pap to notice. "It was good, but i'm ready to head home." Pap said. Sans smiled. He sent a glare to the ladies and grabbed his brothers hand, they began to walk home.

The walk was mostly silent. Pap explained little about his day, what kind of homework he had. Sans listened to every word, but didn't make much of conversation. "Sans are you alright?" Papyrus asked, looking up to him with big eyes. "Yeah bro i'm good. Just a bit tired is all." Sans said, trying to hide the exhaustion from his voice. "Are you sure? You seemed kinda upset when I walked out." Papyrus said. He noticed everything, he was so cool. "Ah, it was nothing. You know us skeletons, _nothing gets under our skin_." Sans winked. "UGH! I REGRET EVER FEELING BAD FOR YOU." Papyrus yelled. Sans laughed

Suddenly his vision went blurry.

"What…?" He fell to his knees, the blurriness continued. "Sans? Hey what's wrong? SANS?" Papyrus knelt down beside him. Sans head roared and spun. His body began to tremble. "Sans! Are you okay?!" Pap was crying… He needed to comfort Pap… He felt a hand on his back, it was warm. A crowd of people formed around them, expressing their concerns. It was too loud. Sans felt like throwing up. "Sans! Sans!" More voices. He could barely feel someone picking him up before he fell unconscious

 **End of chapter one!**.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: The Younger Brother**

 **Hello againnnn! I started writing this chapter in Sans's perspective again but I didn't vibe well with it. So I thought we should take a look at the other little skeleton we all know and love!**

 **ENJOYYY 3**

"Brother are you okay?!" Papyrus screamed, tears plucking his eye sockets his brother's breathing was ragged, his whole body shook. Papyrus couldn't understand what was happening, he was fine! Wasn't he? Papyrus knew Sans better than anyone. To not pick up on how sick his brother truly was sent chills up his spine. A small crowd gathered around the boys, Papyrus tuned them out, he only cared about his brother right now. No one else mattered. "Sans wake up!" Papyrus gently shook him. A man knelt down beside them. His aura was warm. Papyrus looked up through his tears to see Mister Grillby. Sans knew him well, and spent a lot of time at his bar, but Papyrus didn't know him all too well. His flames licked the air as he adjusted his glasses and put a gentle hand on Sans's back. "Follow me Papyrus." He said, his voice was wispy, but firm. Papyrus nodded and allowed Grillby to pick up Sans and cradle him back to the bar. Members of the royal guard began to disperse the crowd, Papyrus usually stood in awe at the guard, but his brother came first no matter what.

He followed Grillby inside the bar. The stench of grease filled his lungs as he slowly walked behind the firey monster. He led them into the back of the bar and past the kitchen into a living area. Papyrus never thought that Grillby lived in the bar itself. It was a cozy area, a fireplace lit the entire room in a dull glow, and lanterns were lit amongst the tables. In the main room there were two couches each facing each other on seperate walls, with a small tv mounted above the Fireplace. A nice seemingly hand knitted rug sprawled across the floor. Grillby led them down a small hallway and into one of the bedrooms. There was a large bed with comfy looking pillows, and a small bedside table with a lamp. Grillby carefully put Sans in the bed and smothered him with blankets. Papyrus hopped up on the bed and sat by his brother. The tears had not yet stopped. Grillby left the room and returned with a small first aid kit. He took his temperature and placed a cool rag on his forehead. Papyrus watched as he dutifully worked.

"How long has Sans been feeling ill?" Grillby asked, looking up at Papyrus. Papyrus looked down at the sickly looking Sans. "I don't know… He was fine until just a few minutes ago…" Papyrus felt awful for not being able to give any better information. He hiccuped and sniffled, feeling more and more tears fall. Grillby put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it Papyrus. Sans hides a lot, unfortunately he is really good at it. It is not your fault." He reassured. Papyrus nodded slowly and grabbed Sans's hand. His breathing was so heavy, and his whole body was shaking. "Whats wrong with him?" Papyrus asked, not daring look up from his brothers face.

"I'm not sure entirely. I will call in a doctor tomorrow, but he has a 104 degree fever, and he is very malnourished. Has Sans been eating well lately?" Grillby asked. Papyrus nodded. "From what i can see, he never eats breakfast because he takes me to school and sometimes he skips out on dinner but it's nothing alarming… " Papyrus explained. Grillby nodded, "He comes in sometimes to eat after taking you to school, but never finishes it. How about sleeping?" He pried, he didn't like having to ask Papyrus so many questions, but he had to get to the bottom of it. "Um… He's always up really early, and doesn't go to bed when I go to bed. Sometimes i'll get up in the middle of the night to get some water and his light is still on in his room. When I ask about it though he never really says much." Papyrus frowned. How much about his brother had he been neglecting to notice? Grillby sighed and tucked Sans in. "I want you boys to stay with me until Sans is better. If Sans does not get better by the end of the weekend then I will take you to school, okay?" Grillby said sternly. "You don't have to do that Mister Grillby… Really…" Papyrus said. Grillby put a hand on Papyrus's shoulder.

"I owe a lot to Sans. He has been there for me when I was struggling. I want to do the same. Besides, Sans is only sixteen, sometimes he needs the help of an adult." Grillby explained. "And I am more than happy to care for him." Papyrus smiled at Grillby's kind words. "Thank you. Me and Sans appreciate it." Papyrus said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Why don't we let him rest for a while? We can go to your house and get some of your things, i'll close up the bar early for today." Grillby said. Papyrus nodded, "Will Sans be okay on his own?" Papyrus asked. Grillby nodded. "His entire body is completely drained. I don't think he will wake up anytime soon." Papyrus agreed and they walked to their house. The door was unlocked as usual, Papyrus ran in and packed everything he thought Sans would like, his stuffed bear, his favorite books he always read to Papyrus, some clothes of course and his blanket from his bed. Papyrus then put some clothes for himself and his favorite puzzle sketching book into a seperate bag and hurried downstairs to where Grillby greeted him. He grabbed one of the bags from Papyrus and they slowly made their way back to the bar. The walk was silent. Once they got settled back in, Papyrus checked on Sans he was still unconscious. Grillby changed the rag on his forehead. He had to wait to give him meds until he woke up. For now, this was the best he could do. Sans looked so uncomfortable in his sleep, his face was distressed. Grillby let out a long breath before leading Papyrus out of the room to let Sans rest. He whipped up some chicken strips for Papyrus to eat and tried to keep him occupied so he didn't worry about Sans too much. He indulged Papyrus by having him explain his puzzles to him, which were silly contraptions that were impossible to create, but Grillby spoke about them with enthusiasm loving his childlike admirations. He checked on Sans a few more times throughout the evening and made his calls to Alphys and Asgore about his work situation.

"O-oh no! I kn-knew something was off this morning when he was l-late for work. I c-can run by in the morning with some medical supplies and look him over." Alphys said.

"That would be amazing, thank you very much Doctor." he said, Alphys let out an embarrassed grunt as he hung up. When he called Asgore, he seemed unhappy with the situation. "I had a feeling something like this would happen sometime or another. Please send any medical bills to me, I will take care of it." Grillby agreed and hung up, he was exhausted. Papyrus had so much energy, and keeping up with it was difficult. He understood why Sans was always so tired. Eventually though Papyrus wound down. Grillby made him a bed on the couch and read him a story while he settled down. By the end of the story Papyrus was out like a light, probably tired for the days chaos as well. Grillby stood from the couch and turned off the lights. He put the book quietly back into Papyrus's bag and went to his own room to get some sleep. He knew that the days ahead would be full of activities.

 **Sorry if this chapter was boring, i needed a good transition into the next part of the story. Thank you for reading! See you next timeeee :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Stop worrying about me**

 **(back to Sans's perspective)**

Sans felt consciousness slip back into him. He felt extremely heavy, sweat dripped from his forehead, he didn't want to wake up, not yet. His body screamed with exhaustion, he felt that if he made any movements what-so-ever he'd throw up. He slowly peeked open one eye, the light of day blinded him, causing him to squeeze it shut again. His memory was fogged, he couldn't remember going to bed. He couldn't recall how he got here or where he even was for that matter. He again, opened his eye slower this time. Pushing through the pain of the light the blurry image started to come into view. He was in a bed. A rather large bed, much bigger than his bed at home. He was smothered in blankets and tucked in extremely tight. No wonder he was so hot. He however, had no energy to kick them off. He slowly turned his aching head to the side, a large pole stood beside the bed. He glanced up to see an I.V. drip, pumping a very bright liquid into his body. He didn't know where it was connected. " _Damn, what happened?"_ Sans said, trying to shake off the drowsiness. Whatever was in that I.V. made him feel disoriented. Past the drip was a small table with a scraggly written card. He could barely make out the " _get well soon!"_ on it. It was covered in glitter and various scribbles and drawings. His brain slowly started to connect the dots from the handwriting. " _Paps! Oh my god how long have I been out? Is he okay?"_ Sans thought, adrenaline beginning to rush into his body, despite how heavy he felt he kicked off the blankets in one fell swoop. His body immediately felt like it could breathe from that blanket prison. He followed the I.V. drip to his soul. " _What the?"_ He had never seen anything like it. He carefully disconnected it from him and sprung out of the bed. His legs wobbled as he fell to the floor, his face smacking into the carpet. " _Ow…"_ Sans groaned he slowly pushed himself up and heaved his way to the door. He had to get to Paps, he had to make sure he was okay. Last thing he remembers was picking him up from school, after that is a blur. He was infuriated. He had let Pap down, and now he's in some strange bed in some strange place he didn't recognize and no recollection as to how he got here! He shivered, sweat clung to his shirt, which was _not_ what he had put on to go pick up Pap. He tried to not fall over again as he swung open the door. The urge to vomit was ever so present, but he forced it down.

"Pap…" He said, shocked at how weak and scraggly his own voice sounded. He continued down the hallway, his vision was tunneled, he couldn't make out the area around him. He turned a corner to see a comfortable looking couch, and on that couch… "Papyrus!" Sans said, hobbling over to a sleeping bundle of bones. He had moved to fast, "Damn it!" Sans said, tripping over his own feet and again, face planting into the floor.

"Sans…?" A small, tired voice yawned. Sans had no energy to get back up, as much as he willed his body to move, it simply would not. "Sans!" Papyrus yelped, suddenly fully awake. He sprung off the couch beside a heavily breathing Sans. "Why are you up?!" Papyrus put a hand on his back. Sans grabbed Paps hand. "I-i'm…. Sorry…" He said. Papyrus smiled. "What are you sorry for? I should be the one sorry... " Papyrus said. Sans jolted his screaming head up to Pap. "What? Why are you sorry? I am the one who let you down… I probably scared the heck out of you. As your big, strong big brother… To scare you like that, I-I…" Sans's voice trailed off, tears pricked his eye-sockets." Papyrus wrapped his brother in a hug, his little arms could barely fit around him. "True, you did scare me to death. But, It's my fault. I didn't notice you were feeling so sick… I should have been there for you, you take care of me so much and I… Wasn't there…" Papyrus sniffled, feeling tears in his own eyes as well. Sans put a weak arm around his brother to return the hug.

"What do you think you are doing out of bed?!" Sans jumped. He turned to see Grillby standing in the doorway. His arms crossed, the flames were larger than usual. Before Sans could answer, Grillby scooped him up and began walking down the hall. "Grillby?" Sans was comforted by the warmth that emitted from the flame. "Do you understand how sick you are? You even disconnected your I.V... " Grillby sighed as they entered the bedroom, the monster set Sans down and wrapped him back up in the blankets. "Well. I am glad to see you awake." Grillby said, sitting on the side of the bed. So that's where he was… Grillby's place. He never actually been to Grillby's house before. "How do you feel?" He asked. "Fine." Sans lied. How long had he been here? He could see how tired Grillby looked. Guilt began to crawl over him and wrap itself around him like a suffocating cloak. He had failed. He had made others worry about him so much… "You're lyin." Grillby said, typing something into his phone. He put the receiver to his cheek, Sans didn't really know if Grillby had ears, he assumed they were under the flames. "Who… Are you calling…?" Sans said, exhaustion veiling over him. "Doctor Alphys, she wanted me to call her when you awoke so she could give you a more thorough check up and diagnosis." Grillby said. Now Sans felt even worse. He made Alphys come all the way from Hotland twice now. What a joke he was. A small head peeked through the door. "M-may I come sit next to Sans?" Papyrus asked. Grillby nodded and the smaller skeleton's smile grew, he skipped in and climbed on top of the bed. Because he was so short it took a lot of effort to pull his weight up. But he managed. Sans felt the worst about Papyrus. He made him feel guilty for his own mistakes. Paps curled into a ball next to Sans. Sans thrust an arm out of the blankets and put it lovingly around his brother. "How long… Has it been…?" Sans asked, scared of the answer. "About three days." Grillby replied. He put the phone back down and redialed. She was probably asleep. "Don't bother her… i'm fine…" Sans said. Grillby let out a snort. "Yeah right. You can barely stay awake right now." Grillby said. Sans couldn't fight with that logic, he probably looked like hell. "I'll try in the morning." Grillby said. He left the room and came back quickly with a cold wash-cloth. It felt soothing on Sans's sweaty forehead. He glanced to Papyrus who had fallen back into a peaceful slumber. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you when Alphys gets here." Grillby said, shutting the door quietly as he left. Sans didn't fight the exhaustion anymore, he let his heavy eyelids close as he drifted to sleep.

" _Sans, come here a moment."_ Another memory… Why do these keep happening? Sans thought as he watched the scene play out before him.

He saw himself, nine years old. Stumbling down a familiar hallway into the family room. The carpet was different then. There was more furniture and the walls had more pictures on them. " _Sans! Come here, come meet your baby brother."_ Sans felt a tear, his mothers soothing voice. He had almost forgotten what it sounded like. Sans saw himself bound up towards his mother sitting on the couch with a small bundle in her arms. His father across from her in the armchair, watching Sans with anticipation. " _This is Papyrus."_ She said quietly. Sans's mouth dropped open at the small bundle in her arms. He slept so peacefully, his bones were so small compared to his. His arms were tucked up near his face and his breathing was steady as he slept. " _Wow… I'm a big brother now?"_ Sans asked, his soul was filled with so much love. His father laughed. " _I think you'll be a splendid big brother. You gotta keep watch over him okay?"_ Sans nodded ferociously. " _I promise to always protect you."_ Sans whispered to Papyrus. His mother took her free arm and put a hand lovingly on Sans's face. " _My boys…"_ She said, the sweetness of her voice filling Sans's ears. Sans felt more tears fall as the scene crumbled away. He reached out towards it. He wanted to go back to that day, he wanted to treasure it more.

" _Failure."_ A dark voice whispered in his ears

" _You didn't protect him from anything."_

" _While you slept, you made them suffer"_

"STOP IT." Sans screamed, clutching his head. The words swung around him, hugging him tightly. His tears stung his cheeks. "Please… please… please…" He begged, his voice sounding so small.

" _You didn't save me Sansy."_

"Mom! I'm sorry i'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He screamed out.

" _Sans… Sans!"_ Sans jolted awake, a scream tearing from his lungs. Papyrus was hugging him tightly. Grillby was sitting on the bed beside him. The room was dark, but it was illuminated by his eye glowing a bright blue tint. "Oh my god, Sans are you okay?!" Papyrus asked, looking his brother dead in the eye. Grillby narrowed his look to Sans. Studying him. Sans calmed his breathing down and rubbed Papyrus's head. "Y-yeah i'm fine bro… I'm sorry." Sans said reassuringly, his voice still having a slight shake to it. "You were having such a bad dream, you were screaming and your eye was glowing…" Papyrus said. "What was it about?" He asked, Sans noticed the small tears in his eyes. "Uh.. I was dreaming about skipping my nap at work." Sans said, praying his naive little brother would take the bait. "Ugh! You are hopeless." Papyrus said. It worked, thank god. Grillby however, was not convinced. He stood, "get back to sleep. Alphys called back and said she'd be here in a few hours." He said, his voice was stern. Sans nodded, he probably didn't pry to not worry Papyrus, but Sans knew he'd get an earful later. He still had a killer headache. Papyrus laid back down, Sans followed. Papyrus snuggled back up and fell asleep. Sans pulled him closer. That dream… Wasn't wrong. I failed him, I failed mom… What did i do to deserve such a cool brother? Sans thought. He was too afraid to close his eyes, so he stayed awake, captivated by his own, troubling thoughts.

 **End of chapter three**

 **(I know my chapters are short, but it's easier for me to give them to you this way. I have annoying carpal tunnel and typing for too long really hurts my wrists haha! See you in the next one 3)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Guilt**

"A-alright, now i'll check your HP." Alphys said. Sans was propped up on a pillow while Alphys was doing her examination. His temp had only fallen about two degrees, but it was better than nothing. Grillby was playing with Papyrus in the other room while Alphys continued, despite how much he wanted to be in the room, his energy would be too much for Alphys to handle. "It's still f-fluctuating… Probably because you u-unhooked the I.V." Alphys turned and began to fondle with the I.V. bag. Sans stayed silent, he had no energy to think, the lack of sleep was taking its toll on him. "The I.V. is made of pure magic, its connected to your soul to stabilize your HP and keep your magic l-levels stable." Alphys explained while she poured more of the glowing magic into the bag. "I-it's really important you don't take it off. Your HP is really f-fragile as it is, we can't r-risk it dropping anymore than it already has." She said. Sans was only half listening. She put a hand on his chest. "It will s-sting for a second." She said as she pulled out his soul, much like engaging in a battle with someone, his soul shined in front of him as Alphys connected the wire to it. His soul latched onto the wire and the magic began to pump into his body. Sans winced, the insertion of the wire hurt a bit. "S-sorry… O-okay, now a few questions." Alphys said, whipping out her clipboard. Sans was having trouble paying attention. "Okay, h-how long have you been feeling ill?" Alphys asked. Sans shrugged. "A few days I guess." He said, his speech was slurred. Alphys began scribbling. "Any vomiting?" She continued. Sans shook his head, although he felt like it, he hasn't eaten anything to actually make him throw up. Grillby had given him some food once Alphys arrived, but he only picked at it. His appetite was gone. "Any cough?" Sans shook his head again. "O-okay how about, night terrors?" Sans jolted his head upwards. He didn't know what to consider them. The only dream he had that sent him into a panic was the one from earlier. He was used to nightmares though. "No." Sans finally said. Alphys nodded. "Hmm, we know you've had a fever, and loss of consciousness… Headaches?" She asked again. Sans nodded, he had a killer headache right now even. She scribbled again. "I-i'm going to take a magic sample of yours with me back to the lab to study it, and I should have a d-diagnosis in a couple of days." She said. "Alph, you really don't have to do all of this for me. It's just a bug, i'll get over it." Sans said, already feeling guilty for making her come all this way, just to make her come back again later would be crushing. "S-sans I don't mind… your health is important to me… W-we are friends after all right? I know you'd d-do the same for m-me… Plus the s-sooner you get better the sooner you can come back to the lab." She said, trying to lighten the mood. Sans forced a smile. He didn't want to trouble her any farther. She smiled back and got up to leave. "I-i'll be in touch. Please get some rest." She said thoughtfully Sans nodded. He kept his smile until she shut the door quietly. He slumped back down onto his back and looked up to the ceiling.

" _Sansy"_ Sans jumped, that sickly-sweet voice. He forced himself upwards.

"Who's there?" Sans said in a panic.

" _Don't tell me you forgot about me?"_ The voice echoed in his head.

"No, this isn't real… It's not possible!" Sans said.

" _Look at me Sansy."_ Sans forced his head up, a small glowing figure of his mother stood at the edge of the bed. Sans's heart dropped. Tears began to fall. "Mom…?" He was bewildered. How was she there? She smiled.

" _My beautiful boy."_ She said, her loving gaze striking Sans's heart. His soul was pulsating. " _Sansy… May I ask you something?"_ Her voice carried through the room like a lullaby. "Of course…" He said, his eyes wide with anticipation. Suddenly, the room turned dark, his mother's loving figure had changed. It was morphing into something… Unnatural… Her eyes distorted and bled black blood, her body began to melt. Sans began to scream out in terror. "MOM!" He yelled, reaching out to her. He couldn't move, the fear struck him in place. " _You did this to me Sansy… Why? Why did you do this to mommy?"_ She said, the echo of her voice had a deep, menacing tone. "I...I didn't mean to, mom please i'm sorry, i'm sorry!" He said, crying out. " _Such a burden of a child."_ those words rang in his skull. " _Look at how pathetic you are. Can't even get over a little cold. You don't deserve them. You don't deserve their sympathy."_ The anger in the demon's voice grew louder. "Please… Mommy i'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"SANS." The scene disappeared. The room was back to normal. Grillby had a firm hand on Sans's shoulders. Alphys stood at the door, her eyes wide with fear and worry. Sans broke down, the tears could not stop. She was right, mom was right... His mind raced, a coherent thought could not be formed. "Sans, look at me." Grillby's voice was so far away. "Alphys, what's going on?" Grillby said, looking back to Alphys, who still stood in the doorway. "U-um… I-I-i'm not sure... " She said, whipping out her notebook and scribbling things down. "Brother?" Papyrus pushed pass Alphys. "Papyrus, go back in the living room." Grillby said. Papyrus ignored him and jumped on the bed. He wrapped Sans in a hug. "It's okay now. It was just a bad dream. I'm here Sans… The great Papyrus will protect you." Papyrus's voice was soft and loving. Sans's shaking subsided as he slowly let himself daze into unconsciousness in Paps arms. Papyrus held him tightly, whispering reassurance. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Sans said as he closed his eyes. Papyrus shushed him. "Don't be sorry, never be sorry." He said. Sans completely slumped into Papyrus's chest, his breathing was slow. Papyrus gently laid him on the pillow and pulled the blankets up. Grillby stared with amazement. Alphys was at a loss for words. "Sans gets nightmares a lot… Sometimes they get really bad. I try to help him as best I can." Papyrus said quietly. Grillby smiled and put a hand on Papyrus's shoulder. "You're a good brother Papyrus." Grillby said. Papyrus smiled slightly. Alphys stepped forward. "H-how often does he have nightmares?" She asked. Papyrus shrugged. "I only ever hear them once every few months… But he's never had one this bad before." He said. Alphys nodded and wrote down more notes. "He was talking about y-your mother…" She said. Papyrus nodded. "She died when I was one, so I don't remember her. Sans tells me a lot about her though, but when I ask how she died… He doesn't respond, he just changes the subject." He said. Alphys looked to Grillby. "I'm sorry… I wish I could help more." Papyrus sniffled. Grillby grabbed his hand. "You have done plenty. Don't sell yourself short. We will figure it out, your job is to just be here for Sans right now. Which you are doing remarkably." He reassured. Papyrus smiled and wiped his eyes. "Yeah. I'll do that!" He said. Grillby nodded. He glanced to the clock. "Oh gosh! You were supposed to be at the school thirty minutes ago!" He said, jumping up. Papyrus jumped up as well. "Hurry, go get your stuff. They'll understand but we gotta hurry!" Grillby said. Papyrus sprung into action and bolted to the bathroom to get ready. Grillby put a hand on Alphys's shoulder as he was leaving the room. "We will talk once I get Papyrus to school. Mind staying with Sans for now?" He asked. Alphys nodded. "Of course." Grillby thanked her as he hurried out the door. It only took the small skelton about five minutes to get ready, she heard the door close and all was silent. Alphys was left to her own thoughts. Sans looked troubled in his sleep, but she was thankful he was sleeping at all. She grabbed a chair in the corner of the room and pulled it close to the bed. She pulled her notebook back out and began analyzing all the information she received today. She hadn't seen anything like it before. His symptoms were odd and sporadic. Nothing had a specific diagnosis, monsters did not get sick like humans did, otherwise she would write it off as the flu. When monsters get sick it meant there was a disrupt in a specific location in their soul, the location of the disruption would be pinpointed by very specific symptoms and magic fluctuations. She hoped the magic samples she collected would give her a clear answer, but she needed to get to the lab in order to do so. She sighed, this was becoming a headache. However, she wanted to do everything in her power to help her friend. Sans had always been there for her when times were rough. When Doctor Gaster died, Alphys was lost and afraid. All his unfinished projects had become hers, she was overwhelmed and didn't know how to cope, but Sans came in and offered so much help to her. He eased her into things and he was quite brilliant. She wanted to always repay him, but Sans was a closed book. He insisted he never needed help, and did a damn good job at hiding it… Until now that is. But even now Sans had the humbleness to deny her assistance. She was going to find a cure no matter what.

Alphys jumped as the silence shattered under the dull ringing of her phone. She quickly pulled it out and answered it without looking to try and not wake Sans. She made sure Sans was still fast asleep and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

"H-hello?" Alphys said.

"Alphys, my dear how are you?" A familiar, regal voice echoed in her ears.

"K-king Asgore! What a surprise! I am doing okay. What about y-you sir?"

"Fine, thank you. I called to inquire about Sans's condition." He said, a twinge of worry plagued his voice. Alphys sighed.

"I am still trying to come up with a diagnosis. He has awaken, but is asleep at the current moment. I-I will have to go back to the lab to do further testing."

"I see." He said, an awkward silence lasted between the two.

"K-king Asgore? M-may I ask you something about S-sans?" She said.

"Of course." Asore replied, a bit startled from the sudden sound.

"His mother. W-what happened to her?" She asked. The receiver went quiet for awhile. "M-my king?" She said.

"Why do you ask?" His voice had gotten darker.

"S-sans was having an episode… He was s-seeing something that w-wasn't there. I assume it was a f-fever induced hallucination, but he kept apologizing to his m-mother… I was curious… What happened to her, and w-why is Sans so apologetic?" A long sigh was drawn out by the king.

"I… It… Doesn't feel appropriate speaking about it over the phone… I will… Take a trip to Snowdin, and I will explain everything." He said. Before Alphys could answer the call hung up.

Weird.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Mother**

Alphys shifted uncomfortably on the couch in Grillby's living room. The entire situation was weighing on her. She felt obligated to fix whatever was going on with Sans, thus, causing her anxiety to skyrocket. She hadn't been back to the lab in about two days now. She had been staying with Undyne to be closer to Sans when he awoke. She sighed, she knew this was weighing on everyone. Grillby had not been able to open the bar in five days now, Papyrus is a worried mess, and poor Sans was the worst off of them all. She pushed her feelings down into her stomach. She had to be here for Sans right now. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way. Not now. She took a deep breath and pulled her phone out. She knew a certain someone who always made her feel better.

 ***Ring* *Ring***

"Hello?" A familiar voice said. Alphys smiled. "H-hey Undyne." She said nervously. "Alphys! Mah girl, how is the skelebros doing?" She asked, her enthusiasm could be felt in the deepest reaches of Alphys's soul. "F-fine, Sans is asleep r-right now and Papyrus is at school." Alphys said, not wanting to go into detail about what happened. "And how about you?" She said, her voice was a bit quieter. "I-i'm alright, really." She said. Undyne sighed. "If you need my help in any way just let me know." She said. "Papyrus is one of my best students, and Sans… Well that pun-loving idiot is real important to him. So if there is anything I can do… I'd be happy." Alphys sat in silence for a while. "A-actually… There is s-something you can do for me…" She said. "Heck yeah! What do you need?" She said, the pep her in voice returning. "Me and G-grillby have some… Business to attend to for Sans… W-would you mind watching Papyrus for a couple of days? I-i'll contact the school and e-explain the situation so you d-don't have to go to Snowdin to drop him off every d-day." She asked. Undyne laughed. "Is that all? I'D LOVE TO! PAPYRUS HAS BEEN SLACKING ON HIS TRAINING I BET! FUHUHU!" She said confidently. "I'll go pick him up from school today and we will have a blast!" Alphys giggled at Undyne's eagerness. "T-thank you… We will be in touch."

"Hey… But for real, is everything okay?" She said again, seeing through Alphys's barrier. "W-we… Don't really know... " Alphys said honestly, trying her best to not let the anxious tears fall. "Don't worry Alph, Sans is tougher than he looks. He'll be alright! And if not I'LL PUMMEL HIM." She laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Alphys sighed. "Y-you're right. Thank you Undyne, i'll talk to you later." She said. They said their goodbyes and Alphys shoved her phone back into her pocket. She leaned back into the couch, she heard a rustle and the door opening. Grillby stepped in and waved to her. She smiled at him politely. He put his jacket on the hook near his door and sat on the adjacent couch from Alphys. "So... " Grillby said, resting his elbow on the armrest, his head leaning on his balled up fist. "K-king Asgore is coming." She said, getting straight to the point. Grillby's head shot up. "The King is coming here? Oh stars, the place is a wreck! What shall i prepare for him for dinner? What kind of foods does he like?!" Panic settled in Grillby's voice. He stood and began pacing, mumbling things to himself. "Wait, why is he coming _here_?" He asked, suddenly stopping his panicked rampage. Alphys sighed. "H-he called asking about Sans… I told h-him about the incident this morning… He became a-alarmed when I s-spoke of Sans's mother." She explained. Grillby sat back down, his head in his hands. "He s-said it was not appropriate to talk over the phone about the situation." She continued. Grillby sighed. "Alright. God this is such a mess." He said. "How is Sans?" He exasperated. Alphys could tell he had not gotten much sleep, even though his face showed no emotion, she felt it in his voice. "He is still asleep." She said. Grillby stood.

"I'll go check on him." Before Alphys could answer he was already down the hallway.

 ***BANG***

"SANS!" Grillby yelled, Alphys jumped at the sudden commotion. She dashed to the source of the noise without even thinking. A large hole had been made where the door was, Grillby was seated on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. His glasses flew off, his HP dropped slightly. "Whats happening?!" Alphys cried out. "I DON'T KNOW. SANS JUST ATTACKED ME WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR!" Grillby's panic had returned but with much more of a force. Grillby stood and clutched his side. "Sans what has gotten into you?!" Grillby was staring into what was the doorway Sans's eye glowed brightly. Flames emitting from it, tears streamed from the other eye, which was dark. He raised his hand for another attack.

"Get away from me… Before I do the same to you.." Sans said, his breathing was ragged. Alphys shook with fear, she knew how strong Sans was, his magic level was impeccable. However, for him to attack someone he was so close to… "Sans… Calm down, we can talk about this, okay?" Grillby's voice was calm and deep. Sans's whole body trembled.

"You don't get it… **I said.. Get. Away. From. Me.** " Sans said, he was faltering, his hand still remained raised, but the fear that crept in his voice began to show.

"What don't I get? Tell me, talk to me." Grillby said.

" **I can't tell you."** Sans said, Alphys didn't know what to do, to scream? To cry? "I can't… I can't…" Sans lowered his hand and began to sob. His tears plopped onto the wood floor, his crying was loud, like a small child. Grillby stepped forward. Sans immediately went back on the defensive. " **Don't."** He said, raising his hand again. His breathing got worse. Grillby backed off. " **I have to get out of here… I have to get away from here…"** He was having a panic attack, Alphys knew them all too well, however she could not let him teleport in his mental, and physical state. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a syringe. She had put it there after Sans's episode in the morning, just in case it happened again. She began to creep slowly up to Sans. He was like a scared baby deer, one sudden move could mean he would run. Grillby glanced over and saw the syringe in her hand, he hated that they had to do this, but they needed to calm him down. He had to do something to let Alphys get close enough. Grillby manifested some of his own magic in his hand, he never liked using magic but this was important. He launched the fireball at the wall opposite of where Alphys was entering through the what was a doorway. Sans turned at the bang. "NOW!" Grillby said, lunging forward, grabbing Sans tightly. His eye began to glow, he was going to teleport! Alphys jumped forward and plunged the syringe into Sans's soul. She quickly administered the fluid. Sans's body went limp, his eyes closing. Grillby held him up, and quickly scooped him in his arms.

"My, my… What a predicament." Grillby and Alphys jumped. A large goat-like man in a purple robe stood before them. "Sorry, I was a bit too late wasn't I?"

 **End of Chapter 5**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Regrets ****SUICIDE TRIGGER WARNING******

"King Asgore!" Alphys said in surprise. "I-I didn't expect you to g-get here so s-soon!" She stammered. King Asgore sighed. "I took the ferry, and i'm glad I did." He said. Grillby was fixated on Sans's calm expression as he lay in his arms. "Why don't we sit down and chat?" Asgore suggested. Alphys and Grillby nodded. He held Sans tight as he followed the large man to the living room. The room Sans was staying in was a complete wreck. He lay Sans gently on the couch and covered him in a blanket. Sans's body was small, so Grillby took a seat on the edge of the couch at Sans's feet. Alphys and Asgore sat on the adjacent couch. "I'll go make some tea." Grillby said, knowing the King adored tea. Asgore smiled and thanked him, as Grillby left Alphys felt an awkward sensation. She always felt so small compared to the king. His aura was so bright and confident. "You look exhausted Doctor." He said, breaking the silence. Alphys fiddled with her hands. "O-oh i'm alright… J-just a little overwhelmed at the e-entire situation." She stated. Asgore chuckled. "I think we all are." A twinge of sadness hinged onto his voice. His gaze cascaded onto the floor. They sat in silence until Grillby returned with three steaming mugs on a plastic tray. He set the tray down on the coffee table and handed Asgore and Alphys a glass. He took one for himself and sat back at Sans's feet. Alphys let the sweet aroma fill her nostrils. It was yellow flower tea. It was the most common kind of tea in the underground, but was very much loved amongst the masses. It had a sweet twinge to it and was completely unique in flavor. "Thank you Grillby." The king bellowed, taking a swig of the tea. "Now… Let's see… Where to begin…" Asgore said.

"Sans's mother died shortly after Papyrus was born. Meaning Sans was nine at the time of her death. I remember her fondly… She was kind and gentle, shy however. Gaster would talk for hours about how much he cared for her. When she passed… Gaster began working in the lab much, much longer than usual. He would stay down there for days and days at a time. I would keep Sans and Papyrus at my home during that time. Sans was… traumatized I guess would be the term. He wouldn't eat, speak, sleep… He was like a brick wall. Him and his mother were incredibly close. When Gaster would come up, he would have huge dark circles under his eyes, and would just come up to give me reports about the CORE as he did every week… I… Tried to reach out to him, but he was in a different world. He would give me limited conversation, he wouldn't even acknowledge his children. I… Was at a loss for what to do." Asgore stammered. "I never thought… I never thought Sans blamed himself for what happened… He couldn't have known…" Asgore trailed off.

"How did his mother die…?" Grillby said quietly. Asgore put his head in his hands and let out a deep sigh.

"She… Committed suicide…" He choked out. Grillby let out an audible gasp, alphys put her hand over her mouth. She had no idea. "I… Still don't know why, Gaster nor Sans wanted to speak about it, so I never brought it up." He said. "But… I do know… It was Sans who found her dust… Oh god how could I have been so blind?" The tears were streaming down his face. "About two weeks after her passing, I finally decided to go down to Gaster's lab as he was working. It was a mess, papers strewn about the entire room, bits and pieces of different machines. Gaster was slumped over his desk, asleep. While he was slumped over I scanned his papers… What I found was… Disturbing… He was trying to use human determination to… Bring her back, to revitalize her soul… I knew no good could come from that. So I made him leave the lab for a while, I stressed how important it was for him to be there with his children… After that, Sans and Gaster seemed to begin the healing process. Papyrus was a big distraction from the pain for them. I moved them out of the capital and into Snowdin, it's a small and quiet town so I thought they would enjoy it…. Sooner or later they began to act like themselves again. I thought it was over, I thought they had come to peace with what happened… But, I was foolish. A nine year old could suffer severe trauma from an event like that and I overlooked it. All these years, he's been suffering… Now his father is gone, and he's left to Papyrus all on his own… Stars…" Asgore rubbed his face in frustration. "He's probably past his breaking point…" He said quietly, eyeing the small child who lie still across from him.

Alphys and Grillby were speechless. The sat there in shocked silence for a while. Asgore looked to be in deep thought. Alphys shifted uncomfortably. "I n-need to get back to the lab to run some tests on Sans's magic…" She said quietly. "So we can focus on g-getting him better physically…" She sighed. Asgore nodded. "Of course. I will stay here with Grillby while you go to the lab." He said. Alphys jumped slightly. "O-oh no your highness you d-don't have to! I can g-get Undyne to c-come-"

`"Nonsense. I was the one who neglected to make sure Sans was okay before, I will make sure of it now. Don't worry Alphys, you focus on getting his physical state better, we will focus on his mental one." Asgore said confidently, Grillby nodding in agreement.

"O-okay… Oh! Undyne is t-taking Papyrus for a little while. Until we g-get this all sorted out." She said, remembering the phone conversation she had with Undyne. Grillby nodded. "That's probably for the best." He said. Asgore nodded in agreement. "I'll be going then. Call if y-you need anything." Alphys said. "We will." Asgore replied. Alphys hurried and gathered her things, leaving the empty cup of tea on the coffee table. She said her goodbyes and hurried off to the lab.

Sans's body ached all over, his body felt like it was on fire. He slowly opened his eyes, greeted by a familiar ceiling. He slowly sat up, ignoring the pang of pain that shot through his eye. He was confused. His eye only ever hurt this bad after he exerted too much magic, but he doesn't recall ever using it. He looked around and noticed he was on Grillby's couch. This was new to, one minute he was in the bed, the next… On Grillby's couch. He rubbed his aching head. "Hello young one." Sans jumped slightly at that bellowing voice. He turned to see Asgore sitting across from him. His eyes were red and puffy, as if he'd been crying. "How do you feel?" He said. "Tell me honestly now." Sans knew he could not easily lie to the king. "Terrible." Sans exasperated. It was probably pretty obvious how he felt. No use hiding it. Asgore chuckled slightly. "You _look_ terrible." Sans crossed his arms "You don't look so hot yourself." He snapped back. Asgore smiled and sighed, his gaze casted downwards sadly. Just then Grillby came in with a plate of food. It was a simple sandwich and some chips. "Eat." Grillby implored. Sans knew Grillby would force it down his throat if he didn't eat, he grabbed the plate and began scarfing the meal down. He forgot the last time he ate. Grillby took a seat at the edge of the couch next to Sans. Asgore's face looked serious. As Sans finished he set the plate down and began fumbling with the blanket that was covering him awkwardly. "Child…" Asgore started. "We need to talk… About your mother." He was blunt. Sans's body began to move nervously. "Wh-why?" Sans was on the defensive. "Child, it is important. We just want to talk." Asgore said carefully. "What about her? Why do you want to talk about her all of the sudden. What are you even doing here?" Sans said, his voice growing agitated. "Do you not remember what happened? You attacked Grillby. You have been having horrid night terrors. We just want to help you." Asgore said. Grillby became nervous. The king had some sort of power over Sans, but Sans was unpredictable and with his ability to use shortcuts, it would be dangerous if he decided to teleport away. "Sans, her death was not your fault." Asgore said. Sans grew more uncomfortable his body shaking slightly. "What do you know about her? What do you know about what happened to her?! How can you sit there and say it wasn't my fault?!" Sans said, his eye sockets were dark. "Calm down Sans. Just breathe. Talk to us." His voice was gentle. Sans began to shake more. "Breathe." Asgore said again, putting a hand on Sans. His body tensed, but soon relaxed. His eye sockets were still dark, but his shaking had subsided a bit. "Tell us what happened on the day of her death." Asgore's voice was small, and gentle. Grillby didn't know he even had that side to him. He was always so regal and loud. " The room was quiet, Sans fidgeted.

"I… I… Killed… I…" Sans's voice trailed off, tears formed at his eye sockets. "I killed her." He choked out. He put his head down and clutched his hands close to him, his shaking was so violent. Grillby looked at Asgore, and Asgore returned the same, shocked gaze.


End file.
